A powerful earthquake in Taiwan has killed at least 10 people and injured more than 1,000 on 3 April. Image source: Shufu Liu / Office of the President, via flickr.
Taiwan was struck by the region’s most powerful earthquake in 25 years on Wednesday morning, 3 April.
At least 10 people have been confirmed dead and 1,038 were injured — 52 people are currently missing.
The earthquake occurred 18 kilometres from Hualien City on the east coast at 7:58am local time.
The Taiwanese fire department reported that at least 26 buildings have collapsed across Taiwan, 15 in Hualien and one in Changhua County on the west coast.
Rescue efforts to free people who were trapped by the earthquake are centred in Hualien.
Several strong aftershocks followed, the highest reported 13 minutes after the mainshock at a magnitude of 6.4.
United States Geological Survey (USGS) geophysicist Kate Allstadt reported that “the hazard is not over”.
“Rain is forecasted for Friday, which along with ongoing aftershocks, could trigger additional landslides along the already weakened slopes,” said Allstadt.
“If the expected rainfall is intense, it could form rapidly moving debris flows in hillslope channels that travel long distances and threaten communities downstream.”
Tsunami warnings were issued in Taiwan, the Philippines, and Japan’s southern Okinawa Prefecture.
The Japanese weather agency later lifted all tsunami warnings.
Chinese media has also reported the earthquake was also felt in Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Xiamen.
Sitting between the Eurasian and the Philippine tectonic plates, Taiwan faces earthquakes regularly — however, officials expected a weaker tremor.
Reports differ on the earthquake’s exact magnitude.
Taiwanese authorities reported a magnitude of 7.2, while Japan’s Meteorological Agency initially put it at 7.5, later raised to 7.7, and the USGS at 7.4.
Despite this conflicting information, Wednesday’s tremor was the most powerful quake to hit Taiwan since the 1999 Jiji earthquake.
The Jiji earthquake struck Nantou County in central Taiwan on 21 September 1999, killing more than 2,400 people and injuring 11,000 more.
Hualien’s last major quake was a magnitude 6.9 in March 2022, which killed one person after a train was derailed.
